A solar halo appears over the Tianqiaoling forest area on Thursday in Wangqing county of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin province. [Photo by Yan Changcai/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A solar halo appeared over the Tianqiaoling forest area on Thursday in Wangqing county of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin province.
At around 10 am, the sun was encircled by a massive, colorful halo, with distinct colors ranging from red to violet, resembling a rainbow wreath hanging in the sky.
The solar halo phenomenon created a fascinating contrast with the blue sky and white clouds, adding a touch of fantasy to the summer landscape of Tianqiaoling.
A solar halo appears over the Tianqiaoling forest area on Thursday in Wangqing county of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin province. [Photo by Yan Changcai/For chinadaily.com.cn]
According to meteorological experts, the solar halo is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that forms with the presence of cirrostratus clouds composed of ice crystals at altitudes of 5,000 to 8,000 meters.
When sunlight passes through the clouds, it is refracted and reflected by numerous hexagonal ice crystals, splitting into colorful rays and ultimately forming a halo around the sun.
Solar halos often appear in spring and summer and are more common in high-latitude regions.
